Incidents of child abuse in one San Antonio district are decidedly higher than in other parts of the city. In 2016, roughly 179 children, who were victims of abuse in District 5, were removed from their households. That’s an increase of 58 cases from the year before. A majority of those cases come from the 78207, a west side zip code.

Now a pilot program has been created to help reverse that trend by using members of the community to reach out to at-risk families. The Promotoras Child Abuse Prevention Initiative will employ the use of nonprofessional, trained community members known as “promotoras,” who provide basic health care education to the community.

The San Antonio City Council took the oath of office in a swearing in ceremony inside the chambers of City Hall, preparing for what is ahead for the body over the next two years.

Mayor Julián Castro said the mission of the council is a double-edged sword because each member is looking out for the interests of their own district, but he told his colleagues they also have to do what’s best for the city as a whole.

"The challenge that all of us face is to balance the everyday needs of our constituents with a long-term grand vision for our city's future," he said on the dais.